Samarskite / Monazite-(Ce) (RARE North Carolina) ex Cilen & Lemanski Coll.

Item Description

Mineral specimens of ANY type are RARE from this very obscure mine in Yancey County, North Carolina. Monazite-(Ce), a Cerium phosphate is a widely distributed accessory mineral found in granitic igneous rocks and gneissic metamorphic rocks. A sharp, lustrous, flattened black monazite miniature prism is visible beneath the bruise in the alteration rind. Undoubtedly older material given the history here. Formerly in the Joe Cilen Collection, a well-known New Jersey collector who accumulated an over 23,000 piece collection. He passed away in 1997. Read about Joe in the Mineralogical Record Biographical Archive at: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/cilenjoe/. Ex Chet Lemanski Collection and acquired in 1999. A rare, perhaps unique monazite crystal from the locale. NOTE ADDED BY Johan Kjellman, Curator - mineralogy, Museum of Evolution, Uppsala: If the interior of this crystal (exposed on top) is glassy, dark brown to black, it is rather an Y-REE-Nb-oxide. Most likely samarskite. (or a combination perhaps)